>> Saturday, 5 December 2009

Celebrating its tenth year in the grand 18th century courtyard at Somerset House is the outdoor ice skating rink. It is the original and probably still the best and where the outdoor skating craze in London started.

For the last decade it has been a sure-fire Christmas hit - erect an ice rink in front of an iconic building and wait for masses of people to form excited queues to be rammed onto a small square slab of ice. Admittedly we did book our session in mid September. http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/ice_rink/default.asp

There are a plethora of options around London including the Natural History Museum which I visited last year. Unfortunately Kew Gardens will not stage ice skating this Christmas because of declining ticket sales and the new proposed rink at Wembley Stadium has been put on ice.

On Thursday night a group from work wandered down to the Strand for some ice filled fun. As the Swiss Miss commented it would make a great first date!

I think I have come to the conculsion that 45 minutes a year is about my tolerance level for ice skating as a sport! Nevertheless the atmosphere, setting and mulled wine definitely puts you in the christmas spirit.